Generally, telecommunication network consists of devices belonging to different domains (CS, PS, IP, Radio and Transmission) and vendors in a multi-layered environment. A multi domain network architecture consists of several devices such as Core Routers, Core Network Elements (MME, PGW, SGW, SGSN, GGSN, MSC, MGW, HLR etc.), Radio Nodes (RNC, BSC, eNodeB etc.), Transmission devices (Optical Fibre, Microwave) belonging to different layers (Layer 1, Layer 2, Layer 3 and Layer 7). In a telecommunication network, the above nodes may belong to different vendors. All the nodes will be interconnected to each other. The nodes are managed by Operation Supports System (OSS). The OSS plays a role in carrying out functions such as network configuration, service provisioning and network inventory management. Outage in any of the above nodes of the OSS of the network may have an impact to the connected nodes belonging to other domain, for example a fibre cut in a transmission will impact performance metrics (KPIs) belonging to one or more Radio nodes (BSC, RNC) connected to it and further it will have an impact in the core devices connected to it. To identify the exact root cause in a particular domain is always a challenging task.
EP2890151 discloses a method for efficient multilayer optical networking, comprising a controller which receives traffic packets from a device. Each one of said traffic packets including a VLAN tag indicates a destination of a second device. A first monitoring unit analyzes the bytes content of said received packets during a period of time and reporting said analysis to said controller.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,185 discloses a communications network which has multiple resource-allocation layers and incorporates a management structure for allocating resources to allocate resources requested by the first layer of said layers from the second of said layers. At the first layer, the management structure provides an indication to the second layer of the required resources that are to be allocated from the second layer. The second layer automatically offers the required resource together with a condition for use of those resources.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,197,546 discloses a network management system for a multi-layer network having multiple architectural or technological domains including an inter-domain configuration manager arranged between a set of one or more network service management applications and a set of network element domain managers, each of the domain managers being associated with a particular domain of the multi-layer network.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,737,235 discloses a real-time network-analysis system that comprises a network appliance and a plurality of management devices. The network appliance continuously monitors an object network and synthesizes a current network image comprising contemporaneous indicators of connectivity, occupancy, and performance of the object network. A management-client device may gain access to the network image for timely control and for use in producing long-term network-evolution plans.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,373 discloses a fault detection system comprising means for sensing faults occurring in particular components of the network and generating fault alarm data there from; the alarm data propagated downstream through the network for collection at a fault management end point; a database that characterizes the topology of the network, located at the fault management end point, and containing entries that define the routing of circuits and trunks through the network.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,154 discloses a method for determining errors and metrics in a computer network. The method includes positioning an analyzer in communication with the network, capturing a data trace of the network with the analyzer, determining a network device topology from a first processing of the data trace, building user layer protocols using a second processing of the data trace and the determined device topology, determining errors in the network device topology using protocol experts applied to the user layer protocols in conjunction with the determined device topology.
US20150128056 discloses a system for providing visualization and analysis of performance data. The system may comprise one or more processors communicatively coupled to a mobile communications network. The one or more processors may be configured to provide a user interface at a mobile device for a user to view network performance data associated with the mobile communications network. The one or more processors may further be configured provide one or more user-selectable options to a user at a mobile device to view the network performance data.
EP2469761 discloses a network monitoring system probe, which is coupled to network interfaces and captures data packets. A monitoring system processor identifies messages specific to S1-MME interfaces and identifies GUMMEI parameters in the S1-MME interface messages. The monitoring system creates MME node entries in a network topology list, each of the MME nodes corresponding to a unique GUMMEI value.
However, in the prior art layered approaches it's not possible to isolate and identify the exact layer in which the outage has occurred and also to see its impact across other connected domain.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,662 discloses a system and method for determining a root cause of error activity in a network is described herein. Root cause analysis includes the correlation between reported error activity for path, line and section entities along a provisioned channel in the network. Root causes can also be identified based upon the correlation of simultaneous error activity on various signal transport levels. Finally, root cause analysis can correlate error activity along various path entities. However, data is collected only from element manager acting as the passage leading to isolating a group of nodes having the impact. Hence it's not possible to isolate and identify the exact layer in which the outage has occurred and also to see its impact across other connected domain.
US20030235280 discloses an inter domain congestion management architecture having the ability to analyze and correlate congestion problems across multiple domains, provide integrated network maps, tabular displays and/or reports and allow network managers, in appropriate circumstances, to navigate to a domain to implement corrective actions.
However, the inter domain congestion management architecture cannot provide the solution to find the exact location of the problem as it does not consider the functional wise responsibilities of each network elements.
Accordingly, there exists a need for system and method for monitoring multi-domain network in real time using end-to-end layered visualization, which isolates/categorizes and identifies exact root cause of network element to prevent degradation in the network performance.